Despite some murmurs in the hours following LeBron James' move to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, there appears no doubt over Draymond Green's return to the Golden State Warriors.
But the question remains on what Green's new contract will look like, with latest reports of a potential multi-year deal giving Warriors fans a new reason to worry amid a horror offseason for the franchise to date.
Draymond Green contract update gives fans new reason to worry
Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reports on Monday night that Green's camp and Golden State have discussed multiple structures of a new deal. That includes essentially giving the 36-year-old back the player option he opted out of prior to free agency in order for the Warriors to pursue James, along with a multi-year contract at a lower annual salary.
One option is a one-year pact that would pay a similar dollar figure to the $27.7 million player option that Green declined to give the Warriors added flexibility to try to win The LeBron Sweepstakes. Another option is a multi-year deal that comes in at a lower average annual value for the 36-year-old," Fischer wrote.
Whatever contract Green ends up signing -- which could be completed this week according to Fischer -- it's not likely to be a good one for the Warriors. A one-year, $28 million deal would be way overs for Green based on last season's form, but the front office might be forced into it given he was trying to do them a favor by opting out of the player option.
A multi-year deal could be even worse though if Green continues to decline over the next few seasons. A three-year contract is still likely to generate around $20 million per year, and even that's arguably overs for Green now, let alone in a couple of seasons when he'll be 38-years-old.
Then you have the prospect of a no-trade clause which was discussed by ESPN's Brian Windhorst earlier on Monday, and alluded to again in Fischer's report. You can understand Green's wish for one given the Warriors considered trading him at February's mid-season deadline, but it's hard to see how providing a no-trade clause would benefit the franchise.
Warriors can only win Draymond Green contract in one circumstance
None of these contract scenarios are team-friendly, and the only way the Warriors can really emerge as winners is if they re-sign the former Defensive Player of the Year for less than $15 million or even closer to $10 million per season.
But why would Green commit to a three-year deal between $30-45 million when he could make nearly $30 million on a one-year contract? The only reason he'd possibly consider it is because Golden State can make a major roster move, but that seemingly went out the door when James signed with the 76ers.
Fans shouldn't even be nervous at this point. Expect a new Green contract that's incredibly player-friendly, and be pleasantly surprised if it ends up as something to the contrary.
Add us as a preferred source on Google